eli5: How did Ross Chastain go noticeably faster by riding the wall?
In: 7
These cars have a lot of power. Normally they slow down in turns to not hit the wall but, recognizing that it was OK to destroy the car in the last turn, he fully opened the throttle in the turn and was able to overcome the friction of the wall grinding on the side of the car.
This is my best take.
To *prevent* hitting the wall during a turn, drivers must slow their cars to a speed at which available traction overcomes the car’s inertia. Friction with the road is all that pulls the car through a turn. With too much speed, a car’s tires cannot generate a turn sharp enough to avoid the wall.
By abandoning the goal of avoiding the wall, this driver could carry as much speed as the car would produce, letting the wall — and not traction — push the car through the final turn, past the confused, conformist noobs who were too timid or dull to consider this driver’s innovative and effective approach to gaining points.
Total Chad move. But the physics checks out.
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